County hires new homeland security director

Posted 6/27/19

Jack Tatum has been named Park County’s new director of Homeland Security for Park County.

As homeland security director, Tatum is primarily responsible for planning, directing and …

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County hires new homeland security director

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Jack Tatum has been named Park County’s new director of Homeland Security for Park County.

As homeland security director, Tatum is primarily responsible for planning, directing and overseeing emergency operations for Park County and ensuring that local agencies and the general public are prepared for any hazard or emergency.

Tatum replaces former director Mart Knapp, who retired earlier this month. As part of the transition, the county’s office of homeland security was moved under the direction of the sheriff’s office; the office had previously reported to the county commissioners.

Sheriff Scott Steward said in a news release that Tatum “has my full support and confidence in his ability to ensure the safety of our residents.”

“The position of Homeland Security Director is essential to the safety and well-being of the citizens of Park County,” Steward added. “The key to any successful outcome during an emergency situation is being prepared and ensuring that essential safety services are deployed in a timely manner.”

Tatum began his career with the fire mitigation arm of the U.S. Forest Service in 2008 in Townsend, Montana. In 2011, he transferred to the Big Horn Basin in the Lovell/Greybull area before eventually settling in Cody in 2015.

Tatum said he’s “extremely excited and honored to be serving the citizens of Park County” in his new position.

“As an employee of the Forest Service, we were always preparing for the next fire season through mitigation and preparation for fighting fires as they occurred. We were always thinking ahead which instilled in me the importance of forward thinking,” he said in the release. “But I definitely felt that I could do more in preparing for emergencies locally rather than at the federal level.”

Tatum was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and grew up in the Liberty, Oklahoma, area. As for what made him settle in the Big Horn Basin, Tatum said his family vacationed in this area ever since he was born.

“I have been coming to this area with my family all my life and I definitely inherited my father’s love affair with the Big Horn Basin and Yellowstone National Park. And now I have an opportunity to serve in the area that I love,” he said. “Without being too cliché, it’s really a dream come true.”

Tatum holds an associate’s degree in natural resource biology from Northwest College and a bachelor’s in fire ecology and management from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.

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